Emergency rotating warning lamp

ABSTRACT

An emergency rotating warning lamp comprising a base, a plurality of sealed beam bulbs, an electric motor mounted on the base and having a shaft on which the bulbs are supported by pairs of modular brackets, and a lens telescoped over the lamps and fixed to the base.

United States Patent 1191 Smith Jan. 8, 1974 [54] EMERGENCY ROTATING WARNING LAMP 3,271,735 9 1966 Grosswiller 240 49 x 3,117,302 1/1964 Cardarelli et al. .1 240/49 X Inventor; l $ml|h505 Gimme/eve, 2,762,994 9/1956 Kennelly 340/50 W1llowdale, Ontano, Canada Filed: July 1972 Primary Ex aminerRichard L. Moses [21] Appl No; 275,217 Att0meyArthur Raisch et a1.

[52] US. Cl. 240/49, 240/7.1 R, 240/41 SB, [57] ABSTRACT 340/50 51 Int. Cl. .q. F21m 7/00 emergency mtatmg wammg compnsmg [58] Field of Search 240/49 7 1 R 101 base, a plurality of sealed beam bulbs, an electric 41 40/50 motor mounted on the base and having a shaft on which the bulbs are supported by pairs of modular [56] References Cited brackets, and a lens telescoped over the lamps and fixed to the base. UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,578,239 12/1951 Grosswiller 240/49 x 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FATENTEDJAN 8 I974 SHEET 10? 3 1 EMERGENCY ROTATING WARNING LAMP This invention relates to emergency warning lamps.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In emergency situations involving public service vehicles and the like, it is common to utilize an emergency rotating warning lamp. In one type of such device, sealed beam bulbs are rotated within a lens.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide such an electrical warning lamp wherein the lamp can be readily adapted to add additional bulbs; wherein the angular relationship between lamps can be readily changed; wherein the servicing of the lamp can be achieved with minimum technical skill; and wherein the cost of the lamp is minimized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The emergency rotating warning lamp embodying the invention comprises a base, a plurality of sealed beam bulbs, an electric motor mounted on the base and having a shaft on which the bulbs are supported by pairs of modular brackets, and a lens telescoped over the lamps and fixed to the base.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an emergency rotary warning'lamp embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded view of portions of the lamp.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, the emergency rotary warning lamp embodying the invention comprises a base made of plastic such as acrylonitile butadiene styrene, a lamp assembly 11 mounted for rotation on the base, and a lens 12 telescoped over the assembly 11.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the base 10 is adapted to be fixed to the vehicle by bolts 10a or the like and includes a peripheral wall 14 and a transverse top wall 15 including a central raised portion 15a. An electric gear motor 16 with an integral gearbox 17 is supported on the base by nuts and bolts 16a extending through rubber grommets 16b and has an output shaft 18 extending upwardly through an opening 19 in the wall portion 15a. The lamp assembly 11 comprises a plurality of sealed beam bulbs 20, each of which is supported on the shaft 18 by vertically spaced modular plastic brackets 21 that are substantially similar and are made of polycarbonate or the like.

Referring to FIG. 2, the brackets 21 of one pair of bulbs are integrally connected into a single bracket assembly 22 that comprises spaced side walls 23, a top wall 24 and end walls 25. The side walls 23 have portions cut away to define curved edges 26 for receiving the periphery of the bulb and the free edges 27 of the end walls are curved to conform to the outer surface of the bulbs 20. The bracket assemblies 22 are telescoped on the shaft 28, the lower bracket being supported by a snap ring 30 (FIG. 3). The upper bracket assembly 22 is supported on a shoulder 31 on the upper end of the shaft 18 and a nut 32 is threaded onto the shaft to hold the bracket in position. In this manner two bulbs are supported and face in opposite directions.

Where an additional pair of lamps are to be used, the bracket portions 21 comprise removable bracket portions 21a that have inwardly extending flanges 45 that engage beneath spaced walls 46 on the side walls 23 of the bracket assembly 22 and are prevented from moving outwardly with respect thereto by tabs 47. In this manner, the bracket assemblies 22 can be adapted to support another pair of lamps.

Electrical connections are provided to the lamps 20 by U-shaped spring conductors 33 which may be made of tempered steel or bronze which have a base 34 and legs 35. The base 34 is located on the bracket 22 by integral dowels 36 that extend through openings in the spring contact members. At the upper end of the shaft, the nut 32 engages through a washer 37, the spring members forming an electrical connection between the shaft 18 and the spring conductors 33. Adjacent the lower bracket 22, the spring members 33 are electrically insulated from the shaft by an insulating washer 38. Each of the bracket assemblies 22 includes an integrally molded brush housing 39, the housing on the lower bracket only being used and supporting a brush 40 which is yieldingly urged by a spring 41 downwardly into contact with an electrical plate 42 mounted on the upper wall 15 of the base 10.

As shown, the spring legs 35 of the contact members 33 engage the spaced contacts 43, 44 of the bulbs 20. A lead 45a extends from the brush 40 to the leg of the lowest contact 33.

As shown, by providing aground to the shaft 18 through the motor and connecting one lead of the motor to the plate 42, a circuit is completed for energizing the lamps 20.

By changing the length of the bracket portions, at the upper and lower ends, that is the distance of the supporting portions of the brackets from the shaft, the axis of the bulbs 20 can be changed as shown by the angles A and B in FIG. 4 direct the beam upwardly or downwardly rather than horizontally.

Referring to FIG. 1, the lens 12 includes a peripheral wall 50, a top wall 51, and a flange 52 extending laterally from the lower. end of the peripheral wall 50. Locking members 53 are provided on the lens and extend through elongated slots 54 which have a wide portion 55 and a narrow portion 56 to engage the base and hold the lens on the base. If desired, a gasket 57 may be interposed between the flange 52 and the wall 15 of the base.

I claim:

1. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the combination comprising a base,

an electric motor on said base having an output shaft,

a plurality of bulbs,

a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb,

means for mounting each bracket of said pair independently of the other and in longitudinally spaced relation to the other,

and means providing an electrical connection to each said bulb, each said bracket including a the periphery of the bulb,

one bracket of each pair forming a part of and being connected integrally with the bracket of the other pair,

portion for engaging said shaft extending through said integrally connected brackets,

another pair of bulbs,

a pair of brackets individual to each said bulb,

each said second pair of brackets having interengaging portions for engaging said first-mentioned brackets.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said electrical connection comprises generally U-shaped electrical contact members through which the shaft extends and which yieldingly engage portions of the bulb.

3. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the combination comprising a base,

an electric motor on said base having an output shaft,

a plurality of bulbs,

a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb,

means for mounting each bracket of said pair on said shaft independently of the other and in longitudinally spaced relation to the other,

and means providing an electrical connection to each said bulb,

each said bracket including a portion for engaging the periphery of the bulb,

one bracket of each pair forming a part of and is connected integrally with the bracket of the other pair, said shaft extending through said integrally connected brackets.

4. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the combination comprising a base,

an electric motor on said base having an output shaft,

a plurality of bulbs,

a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb,

means for mounting each bracket of said pair on said shaft independently of the other and in longitudinally spaced relation to the other,

and means providing an electrical connection to each said bulb,

another pair of bulbs,

a pair of brackets individual to each said bulb,

each said second pair of brackets having interengaging portions for engaging said first-mentioned brackets.

5. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the com- 5 bination comprising bination comprising a base,

an electric motor on said base having an output shaft,

a plurality of bulbs,

a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb,

means for removably mounting each bulb engaging bracket of each pair on said shaft in longitudinally spaced relation independently of the other bulb engaging bracket of each pair and independently of the brackets of the other pair,

and means providing an electrical connection to each bulb.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein each bulb engaging bracket includes a portion for engaging the periphery of the bulb.

8. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said electrical connection comprises a generally U-shaped electrical contact member through which the shaft extends and which yieldingly engages portions of the bulbs.

Patent No. 3,784,809 Dated January 8, 1974 Inventor(s) John Smith It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 26, after "pair" insert directly- Signed and sealed this 7th day of May 19724.

(SEAL) Attest:

EWARD LLFLETmmmJR. 0. MR HA DANN Attesting; Officer Commissioner of Patents i FORM P0-105O (10459) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 i ".5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1969 0-36i-Q 

1. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the combination comprising a base, an electric motor on said base having an output shaft, a plurality of bulbs, a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb, means for mounting each bracket of said pair independently of the other and in longitudinally spaced relation to the other, and means providing an electrical connection to each said bulb, each said bracket including a portion for engaging the periphery of the bulb, one bracket of each pair forming a part of and being connected integrally with the bracket of the other pair, said shaft extending through said integrally connected brackets, another pair of bulbs, a pair of brackets individual to each said bulb, each said second pair of brackets having interengaging portions for engaging said first-mentioned brackets.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said electrical connection comprises generally U-shaped electrical contact members through which the shaft extends and which yieldingly engage portions of the bulb.
 3. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the combination comprising a base, an electric motor on said base having an output shaft, a plurality of bulbs, a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb, means for mounting each bracket of said pair on said shaft independently of the other and in longitudinally spaced relation to the other, and means providing an electrical connection to each said bulb, each said bracket including a portion for engaging the periphery of the bulb, one bracket of each pair forming a part of and is connected integrally with the bracket of the other pair, said shaft extEnding through said integrally connected brackets.
 4. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the combination comprising a base, an electric motor on said base having an output shaft, a plurality of bulbs, a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb, means for mounting each bracket of said pair on said shaft independently of the other and in longitudinally spaced relation to the other, and means providing an electrical connection to each said bulb, another pair of bulbs, a pair of brackets individual to each said bulb, each said second pair of brackets having interengaging portions for engaging said first-mentioned brackets.
 5. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the combination comprising a base, an electric motor on said base having an output shaft, a plurality of bulbs, a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb, means for mounting each bracket of said pair on said shaft independently of the other and in longitudinally spaced relation to the other, and means providing an electrical connection to each said bulb, said electrical connection comprises generally U-shaped electrical contact members through which the shaft extends and which yieldingly engage portions of the bulb.
 6. In an emergency rotating warning lamp, the combination comprising a base, an electric motor on said base having an output shaft, a plurality of bulbs, a pair of bulb engaging brackets for each bulb, means for removably mounting each bulb engaging bracket of each pair on said shaft in longitudinally spaced relation independently of the other bulb engaging bracket of each pair and independently of the brackets of the other pair, and means providing an electrical connection to each bulb.
 7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein each bulb engaging bracket includes a portion for engaging the periphery of the bulb.
 8. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said electrical connection comprises a generally U-shaped electrical contact member through which the shaft extends and which yieldingly engages portions of the bulbs. 